The obvious intangibles all seem to be leaning the way of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

They are the hottest home team around, undefeated this season at Memorial Stadium in front of their loud but polite sea of red supporters.

They are playing for league riches, on the verge of steamrolling into the Big Ten title clash in Indianapolis, and then on to Pasadena.

They play with a distinct swagger and confidence that's built from three stunning fourth-quarter comebacks.

And the sparkplug of it all is that Southern California quarterback with the awkward throwing motion and the set of jets that can turn an outcome on a dime.

Rather suddenly, the Cornhuskers have emerged as the Big Ten's best all-around puncher and title-fight favorite -- at least among those teams eligible for the postseason.

They are brilliant on first down and have the most successful, balanced offense around.

They seem to have most everything going their way as the Nittany Lions come to town.

And that seems to be fine with Penn State.

"They have a lot to play for, but at the same time, we have a lot to play for," said Stephon Morris, the Lions' senior cornerback. "We're not just going to let them walk over us. We'll give them everything we have."

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It's not as if these Lions haven't been underdogs in some form or fashion all of the past year. It's not as if they haven't found success on the road, winning their past three and playing their most complete game in the most hostile environment, that prime-time fan frenzy in Iowa's Kinnick Stadium.

Southern California poster boy, Taylor Martinez, at quarterback?

In contrast, Penn State is led by the best passer in the league, a quick-tempered former walk-on from Scranton.

No, these traditional powers from opposite ends of the Big Ten are not all that much alike, at least not anymore.

And Saturday's mid-November showdown on the plains won't even have that fierce and frigid ground-control battle so many were predicting months ago.

Somehow, temperatures are expected to climb into the mid-70s through the early afternoon -- with a gusty wind -- before thunderstorms possibly rock Lincoln.

Through it all, the rapid pace of the offense could carry both teams into the 30s.

For Nebraska, that's because it hasn't seemed to miss much without injured All-America tailback Rex Burkhead. Speedy backup Ameer Abdullah simply went from being a dangerous punt returner to also morphing into a 100-yard-a-game runner.

And Martinez is the ultimate wild card, always entertaining and electric no matter what decides to do on the fly. He still is prone to ill-advised throws or losing fumbles, but when he is on, either throwing or running, he is a site to behold.

Like when he shook off three interceptions last week to inexplicably rally the Huskers to another fourth-quarter victory, with the winning points coming from his right arm.

And he might be the fastest straight-line running QB around, arguably faster than even Michigan's Denard Robinson and Ohio State's Braxton Miller.

Plus, his passing has become more accurate since he helped Nebraska hold on to that narrow victory a year ago in Beaver Stadium.

He is where this game could turn.

"Taylor Martinez is going to be difficult if he gets in the open field. It's going to be hard to tackle him," said Morris, who expects at least a few one-on-one encounters. "He's run past a lot of defensive backs."

The Lions? Their defense needs to counter by forcing multiple turnovers, while quarterback Matt McGloin must look as sharp and comfortable as he did at Iowa.

He figures to carry a heavy burden in this one and is reliant on his blockers keeping him cleaner and less rushed than they did against Ohio State.

Even so, this definitely has the feel of another uphill struggle for Penn State in a year full of them.

Their best defensive lineman probably won't play much, if at all, because of a sprained knee.

Their top tight end is still hobbling from a bad ankle.

No matter, its players claim.

They have their own incentive.

"There's no tomorrow," McGloin said. "We play each and every game like it's our last. We're just playing to win right now, that's our mindset.

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